The invention relates to well screens and particularly to water well screens for residential use in areas where the expense of sophisticated and very durable stainless steel screens having a wrap wire welded to a plurality of internal support rods cannot be economically justified. Typically, the screens used in such a situation have been produced by wrapping copper gauze or mesh around a plastic or steel pipe which has been perforated by drilling or sawing. The resulting screens are generally quite fragile due to exposure of the mesh on the surface. They are also inefficient, since they have a very small open area per unit of screen length.